Austin Zoo + Kuretake Brush Pen

I really didn't know what I was missing until I got a Kuretake #13 Brush Pen. Until today, I've only used the disposable felt-tipped "brush" pens made by Tombow and Faber-Castell. The Kuretake makes those pens feel like crap. There is a WORLD of difference. The Kuretake feels like an actual brush. It's soft. The tip gives. There's bristles! The disposable ones feel so stiff, I wouldn't even consider it a "brush" pen after using the Kuretake. I think the only advantage of those is that they're cheap and easier to control, but you loose that beautiful calligraphic look of a real brush. Anyway, if you're into brush pens, you owe it to yourself to get the good stuff :) I heard Pentel Pocket Brush is amazing too and cheaper than the Kuretake #13 that I have. Worth looking into.

I really like the very bold look of brush pen drawing. It's a bit scary though because re-stated lines don't look as nice on a brush pen drawing as they do in pencil. It's definitely for artists that have a brave streak.

Well, Hope you enjoyed my drawings!

Until next time!
Tiffanny

Art Day!

Painted with my best painting buddy Jay today. We decided to paint the dreaded pineapple, our nemesis, because we had such a hard time painting it in the past. This is my first watercolor of a pineapple. My first attempt a long time ago was actually in oils.

Why does the pineapple look like it's rotting? Because it was! It's a week old. It smelled nice while we were painting it though because it was overripe. The painting is a bit sloppy - I was sleepy-painting it because I woke up super early to go to the zoo and draw animals. I think it turned out ok enough to post though. Here are my zoo drawings:

and BEFORE the zoo, I sketched outside of a coffee shop where there was this super cute puppy cocker spaniel:

I hope you had your own good day!
Tiff

Identical Bikinis

What's the worst thing that can happen to a gal at the beach? When another girl wears the same bikini better than you!

This is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday topic "Identical".

and here are some closeups:

Feels a little like Betty and Veronica, huh?
Here's the sketch:

Well, I hope you like my entry!

Until next time,
Tiffanny

Drink and Draw with the Lovely Ginger Snaps and Blue Magnolia

Went to Mr Tramps to draw two burlesque performers. They add a lot of sass to the poses, which is different from your ordinary figure sessions.
Thanks to the ladies for a job well done!

This is Blue Magnolia:

Blue and Ginger Snaps:

Blue:

Ginger:

Ginger:

Ginger did amazing with the 1-minute gestures!

I had fun at the Drink-and-Draw! I look forward to attending more of these sessions :)

Tiff

Austin Zoo

Went to the Austin Zoo today! They had moved the foxes to a bigger enclosure, and they were SOOO happy. They were bouncing around, jumping on their houses. They were SO curious, they LOVED watching people. They looked like they were enjoying watching the people as much we enjoyed watching them. They are so beautiful, not just physically, but in their behavior. It's physically impossible to not smile when you are with a fox.

Check out this lazy guy. Someday, I want to slow myself down, find a tree, and sleep underneath it. I now work really close to the Capitol, and the grounds there are always perfect and peaceful. Maybe one day at lunch, instead of eating at my desk or going to the gym, I'll take a blanket to the capitol, lay on the grass and find shapes of things in the clouds. I will tell myself that I don't have any worries, because I'm not a person, but a nice fat lazy piggy and my purpose in life is nothing but to sleep in the dappled light.

Until later, Tiff